


The Tarkov six

by MrBatty



Category: escape from tarkov
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:02:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21574177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrBatty/pseuds/MrBatty
Summary: This story is intended as my own take on the backstory for the game Escape from Tarkov. The story focuses on a group of Russian special forces soldiers as they try to survive in and around the city of Tarkov. As my first piece, it is a Work in Progress, but regular updates can be expected.
Kudos: 1





	1. The beginning of the end

It was pouring with rain that morning, and no one wanted to leave the relative warmth of their beds. In spite of this, orders were orders, however. We had been tasked with an early morning patrol of the city. Nothing major, just a simple patrol around the outskirts. Eventually were to then make our way to the city centre. We were to make our presence known, and maybe stir up the insurgents, if they felt like braving the heavy Russian rain.

One by one, the 20 of us hauled our way into the truck, placed our rucksacks under the cold, wet benches, and waited for our driver. When he finally got in, we began our routine patrol, starting with the industrial estates on the edge of Tarkov. It was early in the morning, and we were met with reluctant smiles from the overnight staff, happy to see us, but clearly angry that the rain had failed to clear up overnight. we passed through with little incident, collecting a few supplies for the base as we went.

The next leg of our journey was to the customs post, right on the border between Tarkov and Germany. Our platoon often joked that Tarkov was the forgotten city, relying almost entirely on local and foreign supplies. The Russian government had recently come under fire for many policy changes, and opinion was falling around the border regions, with Tarkov being the worst hit. Almost no humanitarian supplies had been seen within the city for months, due to the fierce presence of multiple insurgent groups who would often sabotage supply convoys. Perhaps because of the importance of the customs checkpoints, regular military patrols were established, in order to prevent the insurgent groups from cutting the region off from its key supply routes.

As if to prove the importance of our patrols, no sooner than we arrived at the fence, we immediately began taking sustained, heavy gunfire, potentially from multiple insurgent machine guns, stationed in and around the woodland that surrounded the border post. Our platoon leader radioed in that we were under fire, and gave orders for us all to spread out, and return fire, as and when we identified our targets.

We hit the ground as soon as we dismounted from our truck and spread out as much as we could. The gunfire intensified as time went on, to the point that we called in a mortar strike on the tree line, hoping to either supress them, or eliminate them. The strike came and went, with little effect. They were too spread out, covering to wide an area for our indirect fire to be effective. With sinking hearts, we gave the order to fall back, deciding that it was not worth the risk to our men, for such a minor gain.  
We fell back on foot, leaving the truck at the checkpoint. We did, however, manage to take all our backpacks with us, fearing that we could risk giving the insurgents access to a wide range of useful supplies if we left them. Before long, we were in amongst the tree lines, making our way back towards the base, to get some more troops on the ground to help us.

It was whilst on our way back that all hell broke loose. In between sporadic bursts of gunfire, our marksman noticed a large, unmarked plane flying overhead. We all had our eyes glued to it, as a large, cylindrical object fell from the belly of the plane.

We watched on as it slowly fell, before bursting above the city, releasing a cloud of red gas. Almost without hesitation, our platoon lead, the major, ordered us, in no uncertain terms, to "fucking run!"

Without a second thought, we took the advice, making our way through thick bushes, and deep ditches, until we came across a cave. We decided we would hide deep within the cave system, hoping that the potentially deadly gas would not reach us. We clambered over mounds of solid rock in the dark, pausing once we reached a large open chamber.

One of the operators grabbed a flashlight from his rucksack, and switched it on, illuminating the whole cavity. The walls were instantly lit up with bright light, and we could make out various minerals shining under the light. The roof of the chamber hung low, but the walls were spread far apart, a blessing considering that there were twenty of us.

The medics gathered everyone together, checking for wounds and injuries sustained in our rapid retreat. It took a while, but they found only a few sprained ankles, and no severe wounds. We placed our weapons down and took our bags off our backs. We knew we were going to be stuck in the cave for at least the duration of the gasses outside, potentially even longer.

We waited a while, letting the severity of the situation sink in. A few squad members joked and laughed, others simply stayed put. Ivan and his brother, our two medics, were sat with the major, and a few other specialists. Together, they seemed to be formulating a plan of action for the coming days and weeks. With them, was Boris and Prapor, our dedicated sniper duo; specialist Rudwell, a high-ranking rifleman; Dakir, our engineer; and Tomas, our grenadier. I eagerly joined them, hoping that my speciality would be useful in their planning.

I was, however, interrupted, when we heard a mass of footsteps and voices coming from the entrance to our cave. The flashlight was quickly switched off, so as not to give our position away. We all picked up our weapons and took up positions. We watched on in the darkness, as we saw a light flicker on in the opening to our chamber. We looked on as an armed gunman swept the room with his light. Almost instantaneously, one of our men shot him clean in the skull. This single round sparked a flurry of gunfire from both ends of the cave. One by one, we picked of the gunmen as they rounded the corner. Despite this, they put up a stubborn fight, managing to severely wound at least ten of our men. In return, however, we took down around twelve armed men, later identified as members of the insurgent group that had shot at us as we retreated.

Only the group of us that had remained at the back of the cavern had remained unscathed. Only when the medics went to treat the wounded did we realise how serious our situation was. We only had enough medical supplies to fully stabilise two of the ten wounded. We made sure that the worst injuries received the treatment they needed and set about making those with more minor injuries more comfortable.

Despite all our best efforts, we knew that survival was uncertain for all who had been injured. Days passed, and one by one, we watched our comrades dying in front of us. Before long, only eight of us were left. We were alone, without fresh supplies.


	2. The supply run

The days turned into what felt like weeks, until eventually, patience broke. The ten of us who had survived had been sat together around a small fire in one of the larger chambers when, with little warning, one of our medics, Ivan, decided he was going to try to find us some more food and water. Our supplies were dangerously low, and he decided he would be the one to risk himself for us. No one had been out of the cave since the weapon came down, and it was agreed that it was Likely to be a suicide mission, with little prospect of survival. After a fierce debate, we let him make his own decision.

Despite everything that could happen, he still chose to go. Whilst packing up his rifle and one of his last remaining water bottles, he turned to us. Only 10 of our group had survived the intense fighting in the confined tunnels, and he knew more of us would surely die unless he went out for supplies. His final words to us were hard hitting.

“it has been a pleasure knowing you all. I hope you shall survive with what I bring back, even if I won't.”

His words echoed around us as he slowly, but purposefully marched onward into the darkness, and the unknown.

He was gone for several long, difficult hours. For the first few minutes, no one wanted to mention what he was doing for us, despite the risk to himself. It was a selfless act that none of us would have been able to pull off. He was willing to give his life for ours, even when no one else dared.

We did, however, worry about him. With no outside communication, we had little chance of knowing when, or even if, he would come back. The occasional hushed conversation spoke of his bravery, offering to do the first journey out into the environment since the weapon was dropped. Some of us broke down to tears at the thought that someone who had saved their lives would possibly never be seen again. Ivan had had once been one of the few people to bring our platoon together, now it seemed his selfless act was going to tear it apart. Some of us doubted he would ever return, that he had died within seconds of leaving the relative safety of our cave. We all waited.  
The long minutes passed and turned into even longer hours. These hours seemed to turn into days.

When we heard the slow, dragging footsteps echoing through the dark, damp tunnels, we knew he had done all he could. He sounded rough, beaten by his journey. His heavy yet shallow breathing rattled with each step he made.  
He rounded the corner, and the shock hit us.

He was a shell of the person he had been. Once a strong, muscular character, he had been turned to mere skin and bones by the chemical Agents in the atmosphere outside our cave. His arms seemed ready to snap like twigs when he lifted his bag off his shoulder. He managed with great difficulty to place the bag on the ground and open it, before finally collapsing one the ground. His brother, our other medic, rushed to his aid. He knew too well that he would be risking his life to save his brother.

We could sense the panic in Ivan’s eyes as his brother stood over him, urging us to stay back as he began his doomed attempt to save his life. None of us knew the danger that both were in. We knew that Ivan had become contaminated with the chemical agent, but none of us knew if it would spread between us if we remained with them. As such, we left them alone as they battled against the odds. We moved the bag of supplies further up the tunnel and left the two brothers.

Whilst sorting out the supplies that Ivan had courageously brought back with him, we could hear the desperate cries; the frantic begging. This was followed by a single gunshot, and then silence.

The major rushed to their aid, warning us to prepare for the worst. We listened intently to the hushed whispers that came from deep inside the network of tunnels. The conversation was however muffled by the expanse of heavy, damp stone between us. We only managed to catch the end of the conversation before the major made his way back to us. It seemed all was clear, at least until the major broke the news.


	3. Planning an escape (WIP)

As it turned out, the worst of the contamination had passed, with only the waterways remaining polluted. Ivan had found that fact out the hard way, and was now suffering for it. His brother had also taken a drink from the contaminated water that Ivan had brought back, and he too was now feeling the effects.

  
Among the rest of our group, we decided that we would leave the cave in two days time, and scavenge some supplies, as well as find a temporary shelter. First on our priorities however, was finding some fresh, uncontaminated water supplies.

  
The two days passed by slowly, and our plan began to come together at a growing rate. But first, however, we would have to make it back out into the open air, and open ourselves back up to the outside world. The major volunteered to lead the way, and the rest of us simply followed. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I began to feel the warmth of sunlight through my thick military overalls.

  
Stepping outside for the first time since the weapons release felt as if I was approaching the center of the sun. I felt my retinas burning with the sheer amount of light that was hitting them.  
Soon enough we were all ready to depart, and head back into the city. As we slowly walked, our legs aching after such an extended time without true exercise, I noticed myself taking in the beauty of the landscape more than I ever had before.

  
I noticed everything, from the tall trees swaying gently in the soft yet cold breeze, to the sunlight reflecting from each window we passed. It seemed like a lifetime ago that I had last seen anything like it.

  
I was however, quickly brought back to reality by the major. We had reached our old military Base, and where to scavenge it for supplies such as ammunition and essentials such as fresh water. Slowly, yet purposefully, we made our way up to the large, rusted metal doors. it was to be my job to make the initial entry. Pushing the door open, I made my entry. I made a fast and aggressive sweep of the small lobby, before calling the others in. One by one, we cleared each room, being careful not to disturb any potential sources of contamination. We found enough to last us at least another few days in one building alone.

  
Someone then had the bright idea of finding an abandoned car to truck, and loading it with our supplies. This idea was quickly shot down when it was discovered that the chemical had eroded away at any exposed wiring, making every single vehicle we found unable to start. In the end, we simply decided to call it a day, and set up a temporary shelter in one of the old barracks.

Later in the evening, we managed to sort our supplies out, and gather our thoughts for the next days work.


	4. We were not alone (WIP)

As the evening drew on, we came up with what we thought would be a suitable plan of action for the next day. We would split into two groups, one remaining at the Base to guard our supplies, the other group would head off into the city, and try to locate any other survivors.

  
We all slept that night knowing that the worst was over, but something still felt off. Several of us woke up that night during an intense storm that was passing through the city. Despite the relative warmth and comfort of our dry building, the storm did little to ease our thoughts. The next morning, we awoke and immediately split ourselves into our two teams.

  
I was a part of the team that was to remain behind, guarding our makeshift Base. Once the other team had eaten a meager breakfast, they began heading into the city on foot. I did not envy them in the slightest, with my legs still aching from the previous days hike from the cave.

  
The morning was uneventful, and seemed to come and go in the blink of an eye. The afternoon, however, seemed to drag on. Many of us kept hearing voices from the tree line opposite our building. No one dared go check on it, so we simply waited it out, pacing up and down our temporary home, trying to convince ourselves we were alone.

  
Eventually, someone spotted a person walking our way, emerging from the tree line. They were met outside by myself and the Major, who had also chosen to stay behind. As it turned out, her family had survived the attack, but had ran out of food. The young woman had been sent out, and had come across our other group, who guided her in our direction. Being a kind hearted soul, the Major let her take a few cans of food from our stash, and sent her back on her way to her family.

The whole exchange tool only a few minutes, but in that time, an idea began formulating inside my head.


End file.
